Year: 2008

19 long-course and 11 short-course world records have now fallen since the launch of the Speedo LZR Racer swim suit in February, of which the LZR was worn in all but one long-course and 2 short-course events.

In the remaining record breaking events, the swimmers wore other brands of high tech full-body swimsuits.

According to the CNN, U.S. head coach Mark Schubert believes that every record in the sport could fall at the Beijing Olympics.

The technology advantage of the new Speedo’s is so big, that according to TimesOnline, the main rivals have let it be known that they will not penalise athletes who wear other apparel when racing for a national team sponsored by Speedo.

Sorry, the evening world record bull run wasn’t quite over. The United State’s team of Margaret Hoelzer, Jessica Hardy, Rachel Komisarz and Kara Denby set a new 400 SCM medley world record in the time of 3:51.36, almost half a second faster than the old record of 3:51.84, that Australia set in 2006. See also SwimInfo

Croatia’s Duje Draganja has set a new world record in the 50 SCM freestyle event, clocking 20.81 where Sweden’s Stefan Nystrands world mark was 20.93. And USA’s Ryan Lochte bettered the 200 SCM IM world record with a time of 1:51.56, more than a second faster than Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh’s world record of 1:52.99. Read here and here on SwimInfo.

Here is the men’s 50 freestyle final in Croatian. I found it in English too, but it is just not the same as hearing those Croatians scream their lungs out :-)

Australia’s Felicity Galvez has set a new world record in the short course 50 meter fly at Manchester 2008, with the time of 25.32, a hundredth of a second faster than the now former world record of 25.33, that Sweden’s Anna-Karin Kammerling set in 2005. See SwimInfo and SwimNews.

Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry has improved the 200 SCM backstroke world record with more than 3 seconds, when she and Great Britain’s Elizabeth Simmonds went under Japan’s Reiko Nakamura world standard of 2:03.24 from February. The new world record is 2:00.91. Read about it on SwimNews and SwimInfo.

Quote Swimming Science Journal. The new bodysuits are a threat to the very nature of swimming, because some will benefit more than others, some might get them in better fitted form, women benefit more than men, and more. “The Genie is out of the bottle while the man behind the curtain is left holding Pandora’s box”, proclaims Brent Rutemiller here on SwimInfo.

American Jessica Hardy clocked an astonishing 29.58 at the 2008 FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester this evening, claiming the world record of 29.90 that had stood to Australian Jade Edminstone since 2005. Sources: SwimNews and SwimInfo.

Coaching guru Forbes Carlile has sent an open letter stating that his sport is being prostituted by new suit technology. Italy head coach Alberto Castagnetti describes the LZR as ‘technological doping’, and FINA president Mustapha Larfaoui is open to review the suit rules. Craig Lord at SwimNews.com wants FINA to bar bodysuits at all junior events, because of the potential $40.000 of costs a year. Meanwhile, Mitzuno launches a new suit that they say rivals the LZR Racer.

Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry set a new 400 IM SCM world record in a race where no 2 and 3 also swam within the former world record. USA crushed the 400 freestyle relay SCM world record, and the Dutch women totally obliterated the 800 freestyle relay SCM world record with more than 7 seconds, in a race where 4 teams (!) went clear under the 6 year old world record.

Here is the 400 IM final in Spanish

As stated here on fina.org, FINA has now incorporated the new version of the WADA World Anti-Doping Code into its rules, together with a new set of FINA Medical & Ethic Rules.

The FINA Extraordinary Congress has also approved the adoption of a starting platform in swimming that may have an adjustable setting back plate (to be implemented only after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing), the definition of 10km open water events as ‘Marathon Swimming’, and the new regulations related to cases of emergency abandonment of open water swimming races.